Rocky Mountain Region News

September/October 2008

Scott Hampel , MDF Regional Director

MDF Rocky Mountain Regional “Summertime” News

It’s “summertime”! And by the time you read this, “summertime” will be nearly over. Many fundraising events have already taken place in Wisconsin, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Missouri. These chapters are now working to allocate their funds to a variety of projects, attending sport shows and county fairs, conducting premiere “Governor” Tag drawings, working at local sporting good stores fronts to promote MDF, or conducting raffles to be credited to 2009 events. Other chapters, including Colorado Springs, CO – Torrington, WY – Walden, CO - McCook, NE – Rifle, CO – and Laramie, WY are gearing up for later summer and fall events. Here are a few of those highlights.

In early June, one of MDF’s newest chapters in Torrington, WY (known as the Goshen Rim Chapter) was established and is planning an August 15 banquet. If you would like to attend this inaugural event, please contact Chapter Chairman, Garry Reese, at 307-575-3058.

Additional travel to Santa Fe, NM occurred in June to work with the Northern New Mexico Chapter to plan and prepare for the 2008 NM Lt. Governor Mule Deer Enhancement License Raffle.

June 14-15 resulted in MDF making a small presence in Cheyenne, WY with a little help from the Goshen Rim Chapter (Torrington, WY), Snowy Range Chapter (Laramie, WY), and Pat Crank (member of Board of Directors). This same weekend, a number of volunteers from the Northern Front Range Chapter of Greeley, CO camped at Cherokee State Wildlife Area near Livermore, CO to attend the retirement party and bid farewell to Colorado DOW employees, Jake and Pam Frank. Thank you Jake and Pam for the years of hospitality to MDF and for your dedication and commitment to restoring mule deer habitat. MDF will miss you but we look forward to working with your replacement. Not to mention, the crew at Northern Front Range Chapter is anxious to “break in” this replacement.

June 28-29 found members from the Mile High Chapter and Northern Front Range Chapter working at a concession stand in front of the Bass Pro Shops in Denver, CO. Several hundred hot dogs, bratwursts, and sodas were served to customers as they exited the store. On June 29, MDF Mile High Chapter conducted the 2008 CO Statewide Deer License Raffle drawing. This year’s lucky winner is Jerry Graves of Fruita, CO.

July 12 was a busy day in Colorado Springs at the Sportsman’s Warehouse store. The Pikes Peak Chapter participated in the 3rd annual “chili cook-off” as well as hosted a concession stand selling food, beverages, firearm raffle tickets, MDF merchandise, MDF memberships, and banquet tickets. The Pass The Buck Chapter also conducted the 2008 CO Statewide Pronghorn License drawing in Silt, CO. This year’s lucky winner is Lance Barron of Weston, CO.

July 18-20, the MDF Frenchman Chapter hosted a booth at a local Furnas County Fair in southwestern Nebraska to bring additional awareness of MDF, gain membership, and make contacts to attend the upcoming banquet to be held October 11.

July 19-20 was the second annual Rocky Mountain Regional Workday. There were 34 people, including MDF volunteers from the Pass The Buck Chapter (Silt/Rifle, CO) Buckhorn Chapter (Eagle, CO), Mile High Chapter (Denver, CO), Northern Front Range Chapter (Greeley, CO), High Mountain Chapter (Walden, CO), Midwest Chapter (Wisconsin), MDF Board of Directors, MDF Staff, and CDOW Staff participated in this event. The goal was to provide volunteer labor to assist the CDOW by hand cutting/removing pinion and juniper trees. This will restore mule deer habitat with native brush and forbs beneficial to a deer’s diet. Over 6 acres were treated during this weekend.

For other upcoming events please contact Scott Hampel at 303-659-2088 or shampel@muledeer.org.